D. M. FERRY & GO'S DESCRIPTIVE CATALOGUE. 



■A 



VEGETABLE SEEDS '^"" T /flg""^^ 



n. 



CULTURE -Sow in hot-beds in February or March, and transplant so as to 

 give plenty of i oom until danger of frost is over. Then set in very rich, 

 well drained soil in rows four feet apart atd two feet apart in the row. The 

 plants can be raised in seed beds out of doors, but in that case will not be 

 likely to produce beads the first year. The edible portion is the undeveloped 

 flower heads whidh are produced from about September 1st until frost. Late 

 in the fall cut off the old tops and thoroughly protect the crowns with leaves or straw, to prevent severe 

 freezing. The second yettr thin the starting shoots to three of the best, which will commence to form heads 

 about July 1st. The plants may a'lso be blanched like Cardoons. This is accomplished by cutting Vjack in July the stems 

 close to the ground; the rapidly growing shoots which then start up may be tied and blanched like celery. As Artichoke plants 

 ■do not yield satisfactorily after three or four years, it is best to start a new plantation at least as often as once in three years. 

 nr{i0 Ci\f\V\0 f\r Doric T^^® ^^^t sort for general use. Buds large, nearly round; scales pale green, shading to violet 

 dl^C vJJUDC, Ur r <ll la at the base, very thick and fleshy. This is the French Artichoke, the large flower buds of 

 ihich are so highly esteemed by epicures, and is very different from the plant cultivated for its fleshy roots or tubers. 



Pkt. 5c; Oz. 45c; '2 Oz. ^5c; ^ Lb. $1.50; Lb. $4.50 



ASPARAGUS 



Asparag;us is one of the earliest spring vegetables, and would 

 be in universal use were it not for the mistaken idea that it 

 is difficult to grow. In reality it can be produced very easily 

 and cheaply. It does best in a moist, sandy soil, but can Se 

 grown in any garden by following the directions given here. 

 A bed 15x50 feet, requiring about 100 plants, should give an abundant supply for an ordinary familj'. 



CULTURE— Beds are usually formed by setting plants one or two years old, which can be procured of us. If you wish 

 to grow plants yourself, pour hot, but not boiling, water on the seed and let stand until cool; pour it off and,repeat two or three 

 times, with fresh hot water. Then sow in drills one foot apart and two inches deep in light, rich soil. When the plants are 

 well up, thin to about one inch apart, and give frequent and thorough cultivation during the summer. If this has been well 

 done, the plants will be fit to set the next spring. The permanent beds should be prepared by deep plowing or spading and 

 thoroughly enriching the ground with stable manure or other fertilizer. If the subsoil is not naturally loose and friable, it 

 should be made so by thoroughly stirring with a subsoil plow or spade. Set the plants about four inches deep and one to two 

 feet apart in rows four to six feet apart. After the plants are well started, give frequent and thorough cultivation. Early 

 the next spring spade in a heavy dressing of manure, and one quart of salt to each square rod, and cultivate well as long as 

 the size of the plants will permit, or until they begin to die down. The next season the bed may be cut over two or three 

 times, but if this is done, all the shoots, no matter how small, should be cut. After the final cutting, give a good dressing of 

 manure, ashes and salt. Cultivate frequently until the plants meet in the rows. In autumn, after the tops are fully ripe 

 and yellow, they should be cut and burned. If well cultivated and manured, the bed should give a full crop the following 

 season, and continue productive for eight or ten years. 



rTkWnVFD'^ Cn\ O^QAI a mammoth, green sort of the largest size and of good quality. Pkt. oc; Oz. 10c; 



V^V^l'M^ V l-I\ .3 \^\JL.\JJJJ^U 2 Oz. 15c; h Lb. 20c; Lb. 60c. Strong roots $1.25 per 100, postpaid. Large, two year 



old roots 75 cents 

 per 100 by freight 

 or express, not pre- 

 paid. 



(^COLUMBIAN MAMMOTH WHITE ^Isrus'J^S'fnS.'d^eKj 



r us in 1893, and was the result of patient work and careful selection by the or- 

 iginator, extending over eight generations from the original plant. The 

 immense shoots are clear white, and in favorable weather remain so 

 until three or four inches above the surface. The crown or bud of 

 the young stalk is considerably smaller than the part just below it, 

 thus further distinguishing the variety. The largest, handsomest and 

 best asparagus in existence; requires no earthing up to furnish the 

 white shoots which are so much sought after. All but a very 

 few of the seedlings will produce clear white shoots, and the 

 green ones can be readily distinguished and rejected when set- 

 ting the permanent bed. 



Pkt. 5c; Oz. 10c; 2 Oz. 15c; ?^ Lb. 25c; Lb. 75c. 

 Strong roots S1.25 per 100, postpaid. Large, two year old 

 roots 15 cents per 100 by freight or express, not prepaid. 



Tbeans. 



Culture— No crop responds more readily to good soil 

 and cultivation than this. The soil best adapted to it is a 

 light, rich, well drained loam, which was manured for the 

 previous crop. If too rank manure is used it is apt to 

 make the plant run too much to vine. Beans are extreme- 

 ly sensitive to both cold and wet, and it is useless to plant 

 them before the ground has become dry and warm. The 

 largest return will result from planting in drills from two 

 to three feet apart, and leaving the plants two to six inches 

 apart in the row. Up to the time of blossoming they 

 should have frequent shallow cultivation, but any cutting 

 of the roots after the i)lants come into bloom is likely to 

 cause the blossoms to blast and so cut off the crop. Re- 

 member that the cultivation of beans should always be 

 very shallow, and that it is useless to expect a crop from 

 a field so poorly prepared as to need deep stirring after 

 planting. 



Varieties should be selected so as to give 

 a succession both of string and green shell- 

 ed beans. The wax podded varieties will 

 degenerate into a mixture of green and 

 wax podded plants unless there is constant 

 attention given to the removing of any 

 green podded plants which may appear iu 

 the seed crop, and the constant selection 

 of plants of the highest type for stock 

 seed. Hence it is especially important to 

 use seed from reliable sources only. 



Challenge 

 Dwarf Black 

 Wax Beans. 



SEE PAGE 12. 



